Stylish Axe...

Anyone seeking a stylish alternative to the old military axe might want to check out the 'M48 Ranger Hawk Axe'. Made of stainless steel and fiberglass, it's easy to carry. Cost: 60 USD

Detail and order via ThinkGeek:

www.thinkgeek.com/gadgets/tools/ed9a

Deluxe paintball...

'Armourgeddon' is the perfect way to spend an afternoon of paintballing... with tanks. Three on three missions using tanks equipped with 40mm paintball cannons.

More info via Amourgeddon:

www.armourgeddon.co.uk/tank_battles.php

Video via YouTube:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=FmSyQyW1sM4

Flying treasure...

It seems there's a bit of a treasure hunt to be had in Burma. Many aircraft were buried there after the war - some in mint condition. Follow the link for a look at some of the efforts to resurrect them.

'Spitfires At Dawn in Burma' via The Telegraph:

www.telegraph.co.uk/history/world-war-two/9228910/Its-Spitfires-at-dawn-in-Burma.html

Speaking of secrets...

Now you can protect your secret computer files with the sound of your voice. The 'Voice Authenticating USB Drive' will unlock with a spoken password. Available in 8 Gb of storage. Cost: 50 USD.

Voice Authenticating USB Drive available from Hammacher Schlemmer:

www.hammacher.com

Asteroids...

In case you missed it, the other day a company called 'Planetary Resources' revealed their rather ambitious plans for mining - from asteroids in space. The company is funded by a group of billionaires. This is to take place over the next ten years.

Read all about it on their website:

www.planetaryresources.com

Unobtrusive...

The 'Grabit' is a prototype door handle/scanner. The handle has a LED indicator for recognition - green for access, red for no access. It's simple.

Details and renderings via Yanko Design:

www.yankodesign.com

Flying robots with guns...

Our favorite fake Russian at FPSRussia is back with a prototype quadrotor armed with a machine gun. Follow the link to watch the mayhem.

Quadrotor gone wild via YouTube:

www.youtube.com

Networked...

The Schuberth S2 is the first motorcycle helmet with fully integrated bluetooth built right into the body of the helmet - no strange antennas sticking out in all directions. Link to your phone, your passenger, or even other riders up to 300 meters away. Cost: about 700 USD.




Details from Schuberth GmbH:
www.schuberth.com

Eggs are good for you...

The OVO Sauna is simple perfection. A self contained sauna with subdued interior lighting, it facilitates the three traditional phases of the washing ritual, the sauna, and the cool down.





Details from OVO:
www.ovosauna.com

Bad kitty...

These 'Kitty Keychains' actually double as a self defense device. Made of hard plastic, they're available in fun colors. Cost: 6 USD.






Available from Wicked Clothes:
www.wickedclothes.com/product/kitty-keychain-self-defense-device

Chateau D'eau...

The Bham Design group repurposed a world war II vintage water tower into a stylish residence located in the Belgian countryside.




The Chateau D'eau photo gallery via Bham:
bham.be/?page_id=218

In case of trouble...

You can never be too careful with your iPhone - take for instance the armored iphone case from Marudai. The Japanese company promises the hardened case can stop a .50 caliber bullet. There are some drawbacks (it's a bit bulky for instance) but, it would keep you from having to re-create your phone list. Cost: 150 USD





Info from Marudai:

www.marudai-corp.com

Out of the Blu...

The lobby of the Raddison Blu Hotel in Berlin is a bit unusual - it houses a 260,000 gallon cylindrical aquarium. The aquarium is home to more than 50 species of fish, and has two full time divers employed in keeping it in good working condition.





Read more about it via Inhabitat:
inhabitat.com

Three for the money...

Update: The three hulled Adastra is a futuristic catamaran meant to redefine luxury yachts. It finally launched last week, after five years of construction. Among it's many virtues, it can also be controlled via a secure link to an iPad. Cost: about 14 Million USD






Read more about it via John Shuttleworth:
www.john-shuttleworth.com/adastra.html

Surprise package...

Sometimes the arrival of an unexpected package can be a cause of concern. The packages from 'Bespoke Post' are a welcome surprise. The subscription service will send a box of interesting goods for gentlemen each month. Cost: 45 USD per month.

Their motto: 'Turn into a Gentleman. One box at a time'



Read more and view past offerings via Bespoke Post:
bespokepost.com

Hard to fool...

Biometrics are helping to secure borders better each day. That's a bit of a problem for covert operations people. Here's an interesting point-of-view on the topic from un-named covert sources. Certainly worth the read.






The CIA's Secret Fear - via The Danger Room:
www.wired.com

Twisted...

The JagdKommando Knife looks a bit threatening, even when it's just sitting there, minding it's own business. The 7.13 Inch dagger is made of stainless steel, in a three sided blade configuration that is twisted in the middle of the shaft. The handle is designed as a glass breaker. Cost: 800 USD



Available from BladeHQ:
www.bladehq.com

Luxe fun...

Forget hiding your foosball table away in a gameroom. The 'Teckell Luxury Foosball Tables' are crafted of low iron content glass, wood, and high quality metals. Three models are available, in a variety of materials.







Luxury Foosball Tables via Teckell:
teckell.com/#/News

Pocket sized...

Wayfarer Sunglasses are a classic. Now, you can get a foldable version that fits in your pocket more comfortably. Cost: 150 USD.







Available from 'Need Supply':
needsupply.com

Shore leave...

In the town of Balaklava, on the Ukraines's Crimean coast are the remnants of a cold war era submarine base. Now a museum, here's a link to an interesting article describing the author's visit with the Land Rover tour group.



Soviet Submarine Base via Wired's Autopia:
www.wired.com

Spot the pirate...

The US Navy is working on a project using 'Fire Scout' helicopter style drones to find pirates. Using a technology called LADAR - they can create 3D maps of pirate boats and compare them against a database. Or to put it another way, robots hunting pirates.



Read more about it via Live Science:
www.livescience.com

Raising the roof...

Last year, BMW introduced the hybrid concept car, the 'i8'. This year, they've removed the roof, yielding the 'i8 Spyder' - features include upward opening doors, styling updates, and a couple of electric scooters in the trunk.



Images and press release via BMW:
www.bmwusa.com

Special purpose...

The newest multi-tool from Gerber, is the 'Multi-Plier 600 DET'. Aside from the usual fittings, this one will also sport a packsa spike for punching holes in C4 explosives. The pliers also have a blasting cap crimp - and the whole thing is coated in a non-reflective black finish. Cost: TBD



The Multi-Plier 600 via Gerber:
www.gerbergear.com

The Ol' Russian Zombie Radiation Gun ...

According to sources, the Russian government is working on a radiation gun capable of crowd control, or projecting thoughts into the brain of the subjects. No.. Seriously.



More details via the International Business Times:
www.ibtimes.com

No frills...

The 'Spy Master Mini-Sub' is about as stripped down as it gets. The tiny one person sub holds an air tank, submerges to about 40 feet, and scoots along at 2/km hr via an electric motor. Just the thing for inspecting hulls. Cost: 12,000 GBP



Available from The Gift Vault:
www.giftvault.com/product/Spy-Master/413

Redacted...

IPhone owners can send 'secure' messages via 'The Black SMS IPhone App'. Texts to iphones (and IPads) appear as a black bubble - and need to be unlocked/decrypted before reading. Not bad for 1 dollar. Available from iTunes.




Read more about it via 'Cult of Mac':
www.cultofmac.com

There's a thought...

Take pictures of beautiful women and pair them with inspirational thoughts - the result? 'Manivation' - a website you can visit for your 'thought of the day'.




Inspiration via Manivation:
manlivation.com

It's a Diesel...

The Ducati Monster is available as a Diesel... as in the design house, not the fuel. The Diesel styled Monster has a military look to it - available in olive and flat black. The bike is based on the 1100 EVO. Cost: about 14,000 USD


Info and order via Ducati:
www.ducati.com

That can't be good...

French scientists have figured out a way to have lighting strike a precise area. Utilizing laser induced plasma filaments, they can direct the lightning in a very predictable way.



Read more about it via New Scientist:
www.newscientist.com